Cooking the turkey on the grill frees up all that precious oven space.
Lisegagne/Getty Images
Have you thought about grilling your Thanksgiving turkey this year?
Grilling frees up precious oven space for all those deliciousvegetable sidesand pies.
Photo:Lisegagne/Getty Images
“You bring that turkey in from the grill, you’re gonna get a standing ovation.”
Elizabeth Karmel, aka Grill Girl, knows her way around a grill.
is a huge proponent of grilling the Thanksgiving turkey.
An annual tune-up should do the trick.
You don’t need a million sides, but follow the whole turkey recipe, soup to nuts.
Your family and friends will love that they have an extra turkey opportunity followed up by thosenext-day sandwiches.
Trust us, if you’re hosting for T-Day, you’ll be glad you did a dress rehearsal.
You want the grill nice and hot, according to Karmel.
If you have vertical burners, your bird should be vertical; or if horizontal, position it horizontally.
This helps the turkey cook evenly along its length.
That’s because dials on the outside of a gas grill often don’t reflect the interior temperature accurately.
“You’ll burn the bottom of the bird,” warns Karmel, and no one wants that.
“If you’re new to grilling, think of indirect heat as roasting or baking.
Direct heat is broiling.”
Oil Your Bird
Before grilling, it’s crucial to oil the whole bird.
This keeps it from sticking to the grates or drip pan and makes for a beautiful finish.
Karmel prefers herstuffingSouthern-styleknown as “dressing"cooked on the side.
“Wind is the only thing that affects the cooking time,” says Karmel.
Her tip: Before turning on the grill, stand near it for a minute.
If you notice the grill is in a windy spot, relocate it to a protected area.
I learned this one the hard way.
Just verify the pan’s rim isn’t so tall that it covers the turkey legs.
She created it for “people who didn’t like gravy because it was too gamey.”
Those people, she says, “end up lapping it up.”
Other options are “a tiny bit” of maple syrup or a good unfiltered apple cider.
